Fast Forward
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Most people would love a glimpse at their future. But when Lisanna gets stuck into her own with no recollection of how it all happened, all she wants to do is go back home, to her own time, and her own Fairy Tail. But what if...what if that's not an option?
1. Chapter 1

Fast Forward

Chapter 1

Whatever she'd fallen asleep on smelt a lot like lavender. Err, rather soap. A strong scent of it. Blinking, she opened her eyes to be welcomed with darkness. And beneath her head the feeling of flesh.

It was rather shocking to her as only laid there, eyes widening as she tried hard to recall the previous night. But all she remembered was hanging out with Lucy and Levy, eating takeout in the latter's room in Fairy Hills, reading over some silly old spells and poems. Just goofing off. Even Natsu hadn't been invited.

…But who was she with at the moment then?

The hand that was laying there, against the other person with her head, she used to gently pat the flesh beneath her. It was someone's chest. And upon patting lower, she felt abs. Who-

"Too early," the man she was with groaned before literally shoving her off. "Knock it off."

She knew the voice, but it didn't compute with her immediately. Shifting away, she found herself in an unfamiliar bed and, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, an unfamiliar room.

Sitting up then, she pressed a hand to her mouth as she tried in vain to figure out where exactly she was. They hadn't been drinking that night. And, as she slowly recalled, she'd even left Levy's place and headed back home. She remembered talking to Mira and Elf and then going back up to her own bedroom.

So what had happened after that?

Shoving out of the bed then, she found that she wasn't naked, but rather clothed in an oversized t-shirt. One that she for sure didn't own. Probably belonged to wherever it was she was with. And she didn't see any of her own clothes littering around. Where-

"What are you doing?" the man grumbled then. "Lisanna?"

That voice. She knew that voice.

"I-I have to go home," she told the man quickly, her own voice hitting her ears. It didn't sound right. It sounded…deeper maybe? What was wrong with her? Was she drunk? She didn't feel like that. Just…confused. Very, very confused. "I-"

"You're having a bad dream, babe," he grumbled, moving to sit up as well. "C'mere."

It was then, with the help of the moonlight streaming through the window, that she was able to see the face of the man that she'd apparently spent the night with.

"Bickslow?"

"Lisanna?" he repeated, in a mockery of the same shocked voice she was sporting. Then he grinned. "Come back to bed. You just had a dream or something."

Her mind was racing then. When could she have ever even been around Bickslow that night to have the chance to hookup with him?

"I-I have to go," she told him. "Mira is-"

"Mira's probably asleep. It's, like, three in the morning, Lisanna." He was pushing up out of bed then, groaning slightly. "You're gonna make me come over there, huh?"

"B-Bickslow," she said slowly as he came closer. He was only in his boxers, which usually would have made her blush, but that wasn't what was bothering her at the moment.

"What?" He was reaching out to touch her, but she dodged him.

"Y-You're so…old."

Frowning then, he moved to pat his chest. "I ain't old. What are you-"

"I have to go," she said before turning to run off.

"Go where? Lisanna-"

She went out the first door she saw…which happened to lead her into a bathroom. She couldn't leave though as Bickslow was blocking the doorway then.

"What's wrong with you?" he grumbled, fumbling around in the dark to hit the light switch. "Are you okay? Are you sick?"

"I-" Her breath caught in her throat as, in the light, something in the mirror next to them caught her eye. Turning, she slowly went over to the sink, staring at the mirror above it.

"I'm old too."

"Lissy, are you drunk?" He frowned. "Because-"

"What happened?" she whispered as she continued to stare at herself. It wasn't dramatically so, to a normal person, that she'd aged, but to someone who'd gone to bed that night nineteen (twenty-six with that seven year gap) and woke up to be, more than likely, in their thirties, it sure felt like it. "How-"

"Do you need to go see somebody? Are…you gonna vomit or something? Or-"

"Bickslow," she said slowly before glancing over at him. "Where are we?"

"At home, silly." He was trying hard to sound normal, but she could hear the concern in his tone. Coming closer, he reached out to touch her shoulder. "Come back to bed, Lisanna."

When she looked up at him, the man only grinned before leaning down to kiss her head.

"You just had a bad dream, Lissy." She didn't move as he moved to wrap his arms around her, hugging her slightly. "Now come back to bed before you wake up the babies."

Babies?

Oh yeah. She was with Bickslow. His stupid dolls must have been lurking around.

What he said did make sense though. Sort of. She wasn't waking up from a bad dream. She had to be in one. One very realistic, very odd dream. But considering before she'd gone to sleep, they were playing around with some weird spells and some ancient books, maybe her mind was just all discombobulated.

Allowing him then to drag her away, Lisanna followed Bickslow back into bed. He only jumped into it with a bounce after letting her go. He was smiling at her, but Lisanna couldn't mimic it. Slowly, she moved to lay down with him as well.

"You okay?" he asked, shocking her as he moved to lay on his side before wrapping an arm around her. Laying as still as possible, she let him snuggle up to her and press a kiss to her head.

Some dream.

"Yeah," she whispered, breathless as she stared up at the ceiling. He only gave her one more kiss before relaxing his grip some, shifting to get more comfortable as well.

"Just go to sleep, huh?" He laughed slightly and, when she glanced at him, all she could focus on was that stupid face tattoo. "You'll feel better in the morning."

She sure hoped so.

* * *

><p>Lisanna tried hard to sleep, but it was mostly impossible. She'd never slept in bed with a man before and it was screwing with her head. That among other things…<p>

At some point though, she must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, she wasn't staring at the ceiling, counting the minutes, but rather being gently shook awake.

"Lissy," she heard. "You wake? Lissy?"

Groaning slightly, she peeked an eye open to find herself snuggled up on the bed. No, more like, a bed. Because it wasn't her bed. And it wasn't Mira waking her up (though the moniker she'd never heard of was enough of a tip off to that).

"I gotta meet Freed for a training session," she heard then as her eyes focused on Bickslow, who was standing at the side of the bed. He was wearing his helmet, or the one that she knew, at least, but his outfit wasn't the one she'd grown accustomed to seeing him in. Then again, he changed frequently what he wore out on jobs, so-

"Get up," he was insisting then, tugging at her arm. "Unless… You're not still sick, are you?"

Groaning, she shut her eyes tightly once more. Something wasn't right. In fact, it was horribly wrong.

And this was coming from the woman that totally got transported to another parallel world after nearly being killed by her older brother.

"Bickslow," she said as he started to walk away once seeing she was awake.

"Yeah?" He was going towards another door, not the one leading to the bathroom. When he opened it, she saw it opened to a hallway. "Lissy?"

"I have to tell you something," she said, scrambling to get out of bed. "I'm not…me. Or the me that you think I am. I'm, like, not this. And whatever time we're in isn't my time."

Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder at her, pushing his sallet up while he was at it.

"You okay, Lisanna?"

"No," she insisted. "I-"

There was a noise then, one that she didn't immediately recognize.

"Shit, Lissy," he grumbled, heading right out of the door. "You woke up the baby."

What?

Rushing after him then, she followed him into another room, clearly decorated as a nursery, what with its pastel pink walls and soft toys littering around. Oh, and the screaming that was coming from the crib in the corner. That was a big tip off.

When he'd mentioned babies, she'd thought he'd meant his dolls. Did they...were there actual...children? That they had? Together?

"Bella," he groaned as he went to pick the child in the crib up. "You awake? Huh?"

Lisanna only stood in the doorway, staring at him, watching as he lifted a toddler out of the crib, pressing a kiss to her head before dropping her on the ground.

"Mirabelle's cryin'," she heard from behind her, about stopping her heart. Given the whole situation, they were all just lucky she hadn't feinted already. "Papa."

"You think I don't know that?" Bickslow grumbled as he reached down to pat his daughter on the head. Lisanna took a step to the side as, from behind her, came in all of Bickslow's stupid little wooden dolls, looking the same as always, as well as another child. A little boy who looked far too much like Elfman.

Her psyche was forever ruined.

"Don't know that?" his dolls crooned as they, instead of circling around Bickslow, took to flying around the head of the crying toddler until her tears disappeared and she began laughing. Lisanna had taken to leaning against one of the walls for support. She was losing her mind.

"We named a kid after Mira?" was what found its way out of Lisanna's mouth. It was the only thing that was processing, honestly. "And how many do we have?"

What exactly had happened? With Edolas, at least she'd been able to trace the events. She'd been hit by Elfman, woke up in a new world. Okay. But this time, what'd happened? Huh? She'd fallen asleep and…and…woke up into a nightmare?

"Something wrong, Lisanna?" Bickslow glanced over at her with a frown. "I mean, if we need to go to the doctor, tell me. Or if you're…you know…" He made a drinking motion with his hand. "Just say so. I'll take 'em down to the guild then."

"I just need to see my sister," she told him then. "Quickly. I-"

"I'll stop by the guildhall and tell her to come down here," he said with a shrug. "But tell me, are you… Are you?"

"No," she hissed, frowning at him. "I'm… Please just get my sister."

"Alright, alright." He shook his head before looking down at the boy who'd come over to him. "Women, you know?"

The little boy only giggled as Bickslow gently tapped him on the head.

"Make breakfast?" he asked.

"I can't, buddy. I gotta go. Mommy'll make you guys something though, huh?" He looked to her then as she was still only rubbing at her head. "Lisanna?"

"What?" Turning back to them, she only frowned.

"Can you make 'em food? Please?" He came closer then, staring down at her. She could feel his eyes behind the sallet. Softly then, he said, "Can I leave? Or do I need to stay?"

"Go," she said quickly, deciding within a moment that that would be for the best. If he left, maybe she could clear her head some. "And tell Mira that I need to see her, alright?"

"Cool." Her head got a kiss before he went back to the kids. He ruffled the boy's white locks, messing them up further than his bed head already had. He picked the toddler up though, much to her enjoyment and the detriment of his dolls, who complained.

"Tell the kids bye, babies," he told the dolls as they followed him out of the room. The little girl in his arm only giggled though. "We gotta go train."

"Go train," the dolls whined as they went to tell the little boy goodbye. He tapped each one on his head, giggling. "Tell bye!"

"Bye-bye," the boy said. "Pappa, Puppu, Pippi, Peppe, and Poppo."

At each of their names, the wooden dolls gently rammed into the boy's chest, much to his amusement. Then they floated after their master, who Lisanna figured it was best to trail as well.

"Here, you go, Bella." Bickslow dropped her on the couch when they got to a living room. "Papa's gotta go. I'll be back for dinner."

"Bye-bye," their apparent son called as he raced after his father to hug his leg.

"I'll be back, kid. Just training." He ruffled his hair before looking at Lisanna. "I'll go get Mirajane for you, if you really want."

"I do," she told him after swallowing. "Quickly."

"Sure thing," he said, going to kiss her head one more time. Then he was going towards a door. The front door, she figured. When he opened it though and it was to another hallway, she frowned.

"Great," she sighed after he was gone. Flopping down onto the couch, she said, "We live in an apartment. And I'm with Bickslow. This is the worst dream ever."

"Mama," the toddler next to her giggled as the woman sat down next to her. Looking down at the dark headed little girl, Lisanna only sighed.

"And I'm a mother. Great." She hung her head. What was she going to do? The whole going to sleep thing didn't work. Maybe she needed to…to…throw herself off a building or something? Don't you wake up before you die in a dream?

"But what if it isn't a dream?" she groaned.

Just then, she felt someone pat her knee. Glancing up, she saw the little boy standing there, staring at her.

Her son. Right.

"Gonna make breakfast?" he asked her, as if hopeful. "Mommy?"

She blinked. "I…I guess I can. What do you want…little boy?" That sounded weak, but she hadn't caught his name yet.

"Mmmm…eggs!" With that, he dashed off. "Come on, Mommy."

She glanced back down at the little girl at her side who was busy sucking on her thumb. If she was stuck there anyhow, she might as well help take care of the kids. Besides, what if it was like with Edolas? What if these were, like, her actual kids in some other world? She couldn't hurt them anymore than she could Edolas Mirajane and Elfman.

Getting to her feet, she grabbed the toddler next to her before heading after the boy. He had run off into a tiny kitchen that was right off the living room.

She figured it was best to go ahead and get it all over with when she asked him, "What's your name?"

He had gone over to the table and clambered into a seat. Already sitting out was a coloring book, which he was immediately interested in.

"Mommy," he giggled as she came closer.

"I'm serious. What's your name?"

"Ryker," he giggled as she stared down at him. Frowning, she dropped the little girl in one of the chairs.

"That's a dumb name," she mumbled. "Who… Right. I'm married to Bickslow. Great."

…Wasn't she? Married? When she glanced down at her finger, she didn't see a ring, but then again, she hadn't put one on. Maybe she'd usually take it off before bed?

"Hey, um, Ryker?" She smiled at him, or at least tried to, when he looked up. "I'm your mommy, huh?"

"Mmmhmm."

"And Bickslow-"

"Papa," he said, going back to coloring then. "Bella's baby."

"Right, but…are Mommy and Papa married?"

He only giggled. That was no help.

Figuring it didn't matter at the moment, she decided to go ahead and get them fed. Because if it wasn't just some sort of a sick dream, they needed to eat.

"Can the baby eat eggs?" she asked the little boy who only shrugged. Just swell. She looked old enough though. Maybe about two? She didn't know.

While she was watching though, the toddler reached over to grab one of the little boy's color crayons, which she immediately started to put into her mouth.

"Hey," Lisanna groaned, going to snatch it from her. "Can't you help out any, Ryker? Don't let her eat things."

"Hungry," he said with another shrug. "Me too."

"Well, just hold on alright?" Her head was spinning. Going over to the fridge, she went to see if they even had any eggs. Lucky her, they did. It took some time even after that to find a fry pan, even with as small as the kitchen was, but eventually she got some breakfast on the table for the kids. The little girl wasn't tall enough to reach the table, so she had to actually hold her in her lap as she ate, which Lisanna did not find fun at all.

Not that she didn't usually like kids. She did. And it would have been fun, she was sure, to actually have some.

To actually remember having some.

Not to mention with someone else, but apparently it was too late for that.

"Hey, Ryker?" she asked after a minute or so of just sitting there. He kept eating, but did glacne at her. "How old are you?"

"Mommy," he giggled some more. "Ask lotta questions."

"I know I am, but just tell me."

He dropped his fork just to hold out his hand to her, all his finger up except for his thumb. "Four!"

Four. So she'd at least been with Bickslow for four years. At least. That didn't really help anything though.

When would Mirajane get there? Huh? She really needed her.

Or, rather, she needed her Mirajane. What if this Mirajane wasn't any help at all?

The little boy somehow managed to get himself messy during breakfast (he insisted on covering his eggs with ketchup because, according to him, that's what Papa did) which meant Lisanna had to get him cleaned up. The baby too, though she really just needed a diaper change and some new clothes.

"I need to get dressed too, I guess," Lisanna mumbled at one point. Slowly, she was becoming so numb to her surroundings that she was actually contemplating what it would mean if she really was at that point in time. If somehow she'd been…transported there. Like with Edolas.

Edolas. Man, she hadn't thought so much about that place in awhile. But it had to be the key to everything, right? Maybe…maybe she was just in another place like that? Or…what if those spells they had been reading…

It was all too much for her to figure out on her own. She really needed her big sister.

"The sooner Mirajane gets here," she sighed to herself at one point as Ryker repeated, at noisome, all the numbers he could count to, thinking that was why she'd asked his age earlier, "the better."

After dropping both the kids on the bed in the master bedroom, she went over to the closet to check it out.

"At least he buys me things, I guess," she mused as she stared in at all the different shirts and pants she had. Then she made a face and shook her head.

Bad Lisanna. Bickslow was not someone she wanted to be married to.

She'd just settled both the kids down in the living room after having gotten dressed when there was a knock at the front door. Rushing to go answer it, she was welcomed to the face of her sister.

Also aged. But still, Mirajane would look good if she was twenty or if she was a thousand.

"Mira," she cried. "I need your help. I-"

"Calm down," she said as she made her way into the apartment. At the sight of her, both kids got excited which, of course, meant that she had to go over there and greet them. They were playing with their toys on the ground and the boy, Ryker, wanted her to join, but Mira only pressed a kiss to his head before looking to her baby sister.

"Okay," she sighed as she went to go take a seat on the couch, Lisanna quickly following. "What-"

"I'm me, but I'm not this me. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm from…the past I guess, but I'm not supposed to be here. I know that I'm not. I'm not this old. And I don't have kids. And I certainly, most importantly, am not married to Bickslow. I don't even know him that well! So can you help me?"

Mira only sat there, seemingly shocked for a moment, before saying, "So you found out."

Lisanna's eyes widened. "F-Found out?"

"Well, I guess you know what this means," she said slowly. "We're going to have to…kill you."

"What?" Lisanna jumped up. "What are you- I don't- Help me!"

Frowning then, Mirajane said, "I was kidding, stupid. Sit down. I thought you were joking. You're not… Are you serious, Lisanna?"

She only stared at her, keeping her distance. "I-"

"You're upsetting them," Mira sighed as she too got to her feet. Ryker was staring up at them, as if wondering what was going on. "Come here. Let's talk in the kitchen."

"Not if you're going to kill me."

"Lisanna," she groaned before reaching to take her by the arm. "Come here. And Ryker, watch Bell, okay?"

Lisanna let herself be drug off as, really, did she have much of a choice? Mirajane was Satan Soul, after all. Or at least her Mirajane was. She really didn't know what this one was.

"Now," she said once they were in the kitchen, away from the children. "Tell me before we go any further. Are you and Bickslow doing drugs again or something?"

"What?" She jerked her hand free. "Mira-"

"I thought you guys said that you were done with all of that, Lisanna, back when you first got pregnant. What are you-"

"I'm not…stoned or something," she told her. "Or drunk, like he thought. I'm seriously not from this place. I know I'm not. I have no memory of any of this. I went to bed at our house, with you and Elfman there, after hanging out with Lucy and Levy. Now I'm here. That's all I know."

Mirajane stared hard at her for a moment before saying, "You really shouldn't smoke when you're around the kids, Lisanna."

"Mira! I'm not. I don't…I don't even have kids! I don't. And I know that there is no possible way that I would have ever ended up with Bickslow. It's impossible," she went on. "I don't even know him. Not really. He's just a member of Fairy Tail. That's it. I don't…"

She started tearing up then, if only a little, making Mira sigh and come closer.

"You're not kidding me?" she asked softly. Lisanna only shook her head.

"I'm serious, Mira. Is this… This isn't like Edolas or something, is it? Because I can't do that again. I really can't."

"Shhh," Mira sighed, moving to hug her. "Just…take a breath. Or better yet, go take a shower, huh? Then we'll go down to the guildhall and see if we can get this all figured out, huh?"

"But-"

"Go, Lisanna. You need it. Maybe it'll help clear your head some, huh?" Mira's smile was as infectious as always and it almost calmed Lisanna's queasy stomach. "I'll watch the kids, okay?"

"'kay."

"We'll fix this. Or at least figure it out. Alright?" Then Mira kissed her head, as if they weren't both grown, before going to head back into the living room. For a moment, Lisanna only stood there before letting out a long sigh.

"What a morning," she sighed before heading off. Hopefully a shower would help.

Hopefully.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm thinking ten chapters, but we'll see. If I can end it at five, I will, but I doubt it. And if we have to go to fifteen again, that's fine too. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Fast Forward

Chapter 2

The water was warm against her flesh as Lisanna stood under the spray of the showerhead, taking the time in there to look over herself some.

"From having kids," she figured when she ran a hand gently across a few stretch marks leftover on her stomach. Then she giggled when she found the one good thing from that.

"Not as big as Mira, but still good," she snickered as she stared down at her breasts. Then she blushed again, thinking about how she was with Bickslow and…and…

Gah! Anyone in the guild, honestly, but him? She'd have taken Jet over him. Or, hey, even Laxus. But Bickslow? How did that even work out?

Still though, there was only one way to get it all sorted out and that was to get down to the guildhall. Besides, if it was just a dream, why fight it? It could be at least a little fun to see who everyone had ended up with in her head.

Hey, if she'd be parried off with Bickslow, she only expected more craziness from there.

After her shower, she found Mirajane with the children in the living room, just as she'd left them. She was busy singing to them, which the little boy was enraptured with while the girl only kept playing with her toys.

"You ready?" Mirajane asked her as she came into the room. Ryker only rushed over to hug her, giggling. Lisanna frowned at this before reaching down to pat him on the head.

"The sooner I get to go home, the better."

"Lisanna," Mirajane said slowly as she got to her feet. "You know, this is going to sound awful strange to everyone. I mean-"

"To the people that witnessed me come back from the dead? Or when Lucy's future self came back? I mean-"

"Yeah, but still," she said. "Let's just go talk to the people that we need to. Who do you think would be helpful?"

"Uh… Well, I was with Lucy right before. So-"

"She'll be there," Mira assured her, which Lisanna was happy to hear.

"And Levy. She-"

"She won't be there."

Lisanna literally froze then, all sorts of horrible thoughts running through her mind. It was the future, right? So maybe…

"You don't mean…" Lisanna glanced at her. "That she's, like, dead or something, do you?"

"No," Mira said, frowning at her. "She's out on a job. Seriously, Lisanna, you don't think I would have led off with that one?"

"Is Papa there?" Ryker asked.

"No," Lisanna sighed. "I think he said he's going to train or something. Remember?"

Mirajane only went to lift her niece before nodding at Lisanna. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she sighed before heading out. "Uh, hey, Mira?"

"Mmmhmm?"

"Is there anything I should know?" she asked slowly. "I mean-"

"Well," her sister began as they shut the apartment door behind them. Lisanna frowned when she felt a hand slip into hers before glancing down and finding it to be Ryker's. That must have been customary to him, but it was screwing with her. "Off the top of my head, uh… Cana's no longer with us."

Lisanna stopped, right there in the hallway of the apartment building. "She's dead?"

"What is with you and death, Lisanna?" Mirajane rolled her eyes. "She quit the guild. Left us. Like literally."

"Oh." Shaking her head, she started walking again. "Why?"

"She went to join Quatro Cerberus."

"W-Why?"

"She got married. To Bacchus. Like, a year ago." Mirajane gave her a hard look. "You sure you're not just on drugs?"

"Mira-"

"Okay, okay." She bounced the baby in her hands. "And you probably won't see much off Erza."

"How come?"

"She took a 100-year-quest," Mirajane told her. "It was so old, it almost qualifies for 200-years. Get it?" When she saw the look on her sister's face, she sighed. "No one likes my jokes."

Lisanna only stared at her. "Erza went…on a…?"

"She's been gone about three years now."

"Are you serious? Is she alone?"

"Of course. Who else would go with-"

"But people don't come back from those, Mira. They die. Even Gildarts couldn't complete one. She-"

"She wanted to go, Lisanna."

"And Master let her?"

Mirajane glanced down at her and that time, without any words, Lisanna just knew.

"When…did he die?" she asked softly.

"If you're really from the past, would you want to know?" Mira asked her.

"Yeah! Then I could warn him and-"

"And what? Scare him?"

A lot was racing through Lisanna's mind then. A lot. Mostly though, she just wanted to make it all go away. She didn't want to think about Makarov dying. Or Erza risking her life for…for what? And what sort of new master did they have then, that would let her go?

Magnolia, or so she found out when they got out of the building, was pretty much the same. Not much had changed at all. She was hoping that the guildhall would be the same.

Which it sort of was. Except there were tons of people that she didn't know. Tons. Mirajane seemed right at home though and only went over to the bar like it was nothing. And Ryker, the second they were in the hall, let go of her hand and rushed off.

"Hey," she said, not sure if she was supposed to be watching him or… When she saw where he immediately ran though, she smiled, if only slightly.

"Natsu," she breathed as her son bypassed him and instead went over to a little girl that was seated at the same table. She looked a tad older than him, but still jumped down from her chair anyways.

"Don't leave the grounds," Lisanna heard then, from behind her then as Lucy walked by, coming over to the table Natsu was seated at. "I mean it."

The two kids just ran off then, out the hall doors. Natsu, who was eating, glanced up when he was joined, before just going back to his food.

Slowly, Lisanna went over to their table and took a seat, as it was something she'd have done anyways, if she hadn't been transported, oh, however many freaking years into the future. They didn't seem shocked by her joining them either.

"Where's Bickslow?" Lucy, who looked way more toned down than what Lisanna was used to, asked.

"Uh," she stuttered, confused for a moment. "What?"

Natsu only nodded though. "He came in earlier, looking for Mirajane. He said you were sick or something. Maybe you should just go home, huh?"

"I-"

She was drawing a blank. Mainly because Lucy had reached over and started rubbing Natsu's arm, almost in a comforting manner. He only grinned at her though before going back to his food.

Were they…

"I have to go talk to Mira," Lisanna said, pushing up from the table. "And I'm not sick. I'm just…"

"Lisanna!"

Something hard, yet familiar landed on her head then, making her smile slightly.

"Happy," she said as he settled up there. "Hey."

"Oy, Happy," Natsu complained. "She's sick."

He only jumped off her head and landed on the table making Lucy frown as everything on it jumped.

"A little overly excited today, aren't we?" she remarked as Lisanna only stared down at Happy with, well, honestly joy. He was the only one that hadn't changed a bit. Whatsoever. She had no idea what the lifespan of an Exceed was, but boy, she sure did wish that it was forever.

Happy only giggled. "Natsu and me have been on a job for weeks. Can't I be happy to see people?"

Lucy only reached over to scratch behind his ears, making Happy bat at her.

"Think your sister wants you," Natsu was saying then, nodding towards the bar where Mirajane was very pointedly staring at them.

"R-Right," she said slowly as Lucy only went back to stroking Natsu's arm. According to Happy, it had only been the two of them that were out on the job, which probably meant Lucy had missed them. Because apparently, they were together.

She felt sick.

"Did you tell them?" was the only thing out of Mirajane's mouth as her sister came over. "Maybe they can help. You said that Lucy was with you on-"

"Are Lucy and Natsu…dating?"

Mira frowned at that, but they were the only ones at the bar other than Laxus, who Lisanna was sad to report just looked older and meaner. He had his same pair of headphones though, or at least the same model, so that was a slight comfort.

"They're married, Lisanna. Honestly, are you-"

"Natsu? And…"

"Here." Mirajane walked further down the bar then, over to where Laxus was. At the sight of her in front of him, he sat up some, holding out his hands when she went to pass him the child she was holding. It was Bella, of course, and something twisted wrong in Lisanna's stomach. She didn't know the kid, but if it was hers, then the last person she wanted her with was Laxus.

"What are you doing, Mira?"

"What?" She frowned, glancing at her sister before just giving the baby over to Laxus.

He accepted her readily, pressing a kiss to her head as well, which made Lisanna frown even more. It was when he had her settled in her lap though, the toddler snuggling to him, that really messed her up. Mostly because Laxus then reached out and grabbed Mira's face in his hands before making her face him. He only gave her quick peck though, grinning slightly.

"You sure took an awful long break," he remarked to her. "Kinana is around here, somewhere, working all by herself."

"I told you I was going to check on Lisanna."

"Still."

Lisanna wanted to vomit then as Mirajane only poked his nose. They were sick. Totally sick.

"You gonna dock my pay?"

"Why?" he grumbled. "You'd only take money from my wallet then."

"What would be different from now?" Mirajane giggled a little bit as he only looked down at the kid in his lap, as if to see if she was okay. "I'm going to go organize the bookroom, huh? We're not that busy. Tell Kinana if you see her, okay? Master?"

"Master?" Lisanna asked as she followed Mirajane down to the bookroom. "What- And hey, are you guys… What are you and Laxus?"

"Married, silly," she said, glad to find that there was no one down there. Going over to the first stack of books she found, she got to work reshelfing them. "So did you tell Natsu and Lucy that you-"

"No," she said, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling awkward. Her breasts felt funny, her stomach was weird, and her arms were…

She wanted to be her again. Not the accelerated version. And she wanted her friends to not be married. Why did Natsu have to marry Lucy? Huh? What was wrong with her?

…Oh yeah. She was stuck with Bickslow.

"I want to go home."

"Oh, Lisanna." Mira glanced back at her. "You are home. And look, we'll figure this out, okay? Maybe you just…hit your head last night? Or something? And forgot that you were-"

"No, Mira. I very vividly remember yesterday, the day before that, and some of the day before that. Then, you know, they all blur like they're supposed to," she said with a shrug. "But I know that there is no way that I would ever hookup with Bickslow. Or that you and Laxus…"

"I love Laxus, alright?" She glanced back at her. "And you love Bickslow. So… Why didn't you tell Lucy and Natsu? Maybe they could help."

"Because they were looking at me like…like I belong here. Everyone is."

"Because you do."

"But I don't know half those people out there, Mirajane," she insisted. "And I'd like to think that I would remember if I ever had children. Or got married. Or had to watch Natsu get married to Lucy."

"Huh."

"What?"

"It's just… I really believe you now," she said, turning to face her fully after she got all the books put away.

"Why?"

She gave her a long look. "You sound just like you did back when we were… When you first found out that Natsu and Lucy were going on a date. You were seriously shocked and upset. We had to have spent a whole two months, me and you, talking about it practically every day. You kept hoping that they'd, like, break up. And you always told me that you liked Lucy, that you loved Lucy, but that you wanted to be with Natsu. That you thought that you had made that obvious-"

"I have!"

"Okay, okay, be quiet." Mirajane sighed before nodding to one of the tables. "Wanna sit down? We can talk about…this?"

"No," she said, turning from her then, glaring over at the staircase leading back up to the guildhall. "I wanna go home."

"Lisanna, come here." Mirajane came over to her then, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I promise you that no matter what, I'll get this all sorted out, okay? Let's just talk a little more, huh? I mean, if you're here, do you think that our Lisanna's…there? Future Lisanna? That maybe she did something that got you guys switched?"

"I dunno," she said, glancing back at her sister. "What…what is she…am I…like?"

"What are you like?" Mirajane giggled slightly before nodding over to the table. "Sit. Come on."

Slowly, she followed her older (way older then) sister over to one of the tables and sat down.

"You really do love Bickslow, Lisanna," was the first things she said as she joined her. "And it's not even that big of a deal to you that Lucy and Natsu are married and have a kid. Really, you-"

'They have… That blonde girl?"

"Mmmhmm."

"But Natsu and I-"

"Lisanna, other than your insistence about it since you were kids, did anyone else really ever think that was going to happen?"

She frowned at Mirajane then. "So anyways."

"Anyways," Mira went on. "You just… You really like being here. And you and Elf still take jobs together. A lot. Or you did. Since you had Bell, you really just-"

"I love you, Mira, but why would I ever name my kid after you?"

She only giggled. "I think it's cute."

"I'm sure you do."

"Besides," she went on. "I'm, like, the best aunt ever."

"Right."

"I am," she insisted. "Oh, and before we get any further, Elf and Ever are-"

"Ew. Does everyone have to be married?"

"-out on a job together." She gave her a hard look. "And do not say that. Evergreen will flip. She refuses to marry Elf, but he's so stuck on her that…" Another shrug. "And ooh, Laki was totally married to some guy that none of us really liked and they're divorced now, so don't, like, say anything about it? Huh?"

"Right. Okay."

"And… Mmmm… Oh. Gray's married to some woman that's not a mage at all. They have a kid, but he's never really around. Their son. Gray still comes around to get jobs, but he mostly-"

"What happened to Juvia?"

Mirajane shrugged. "She and Lyon got married, if that's what you mean. She went and joined Lamia Scale."

"Really?" Lisanna figured she could probably save the other woman a lot of time back in her real life if she told her that's how things ended up. Then again, she'd probably just accuse her just trying to get Gray for herself.

Which, considering she was married to stupid Bickslow, didn't sound so bad…

"Uh-huh. Then…well…um…"

"What about Levy?"

"Oh, duh. Her and Gajeel are married."

"Duh," Lisanna repeated, frowning. "Silly me."

"They have a son too," she told her. "He's probably, what? Uh, ten now? Eleven?"

"R-Really?"

"Uh-huh. And then Droy left the guild. Him and Jet both."

"Why?"

"They still live here in Magnolia, they just don't take jobs anymore," she said. "They come by sometimes though. Mainly Droy. He always tells me that he loves my cooking."

She only rolled her eyes. "But, Mira, why did I… How did me and Bickslow…"

"I dunno, Lisanna," she sighed. "You guys just always liked hanging out together. When Laxus and I would go out on dates, sometimes you'd come along and occasionally he would and you just… He's really funny. And he likes to play jokes on people. You've always thought that he was hilarious."

"But when?" she insisted. "When did I start to-"

"Probably when you were, like, around twenty or so? I don't-"

"Ew! That's in a year."

"That was actually many years ago, now," she told her to which Lisanna only made a face. "And it wasn't like that at first. You were just friends. And then… After Natsu and Lucy… You were upset and I guess he was just a way to get back at Natsu. But now you're really not concerned with any of that. You both just like having fun together."

She only glared at her. "You're supposed to be my big sister! You couldn't have steered me clear of, gee, I dunno, the guy that plays with freaking dolls?"

"You love his babies," she told her. "They were your babies before Ryker and Bell. You even called them that. And they call you Mama."

Her head hurt. A lot.

Leaning back in her chair, she slumped down some before saying, "Mirajane?"

"What?"

"Can we figure out how to get me home now?"

She only reached over the table and took to patting her hand. "Sure."

Mirajane went and found her some of the oldest books of spells they had, in hopes that maybe one of them were familiar. They thought that maybe she, Levy, and Lucy had unlocked something the night before, when they were reading them.

"It had to have been one that you read," Mira told her as they glanced through the old tomes. "Because Lucy doesn't seem to think there's anything odd about any of this."

Lisanna remembered the way she was playing with Happy and rubbing Natsu's arm with a frown. "Yeah, I've noticed."

"And Levy should be back from her job soon," Mira said. "Then we'll know how she's faring, huh?"

"Yeah, okay."

She only sighed slightly. "I really need to get back up there though, Lisanna. So are any of these books the ones that you guys played around with? Because-"

"Not at all."

"Then come on. We'll have to wait for Levy," she sighed. "Maybe she'll get back tonight? I dunno. The job she took didn't seem that hard."

"Who does she go with now that Droy and Jet are-"

"Gajeel, of course."

"Of course."

"And Pantherlily."

Rolling her eyes at that, Lisanna slowly got to her feet. "I really just want this all to be over with. It's, like, a horrible, terrible dream. I want none of this to happen. Literally, none of it."

Mira only went to hug her. "Oh, Lisanna. You're always so cute."

"Mira-"

"You are." When she let her go, she only giggled some. "Besides, maybe it won't."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Edolas was, like, another world, right? Maybe you're from another world."

"You mean that you guys are."

She shrugged. "To me, Lisanna, you're the odd man out here. Or woman."

When they made it up the stairs, it was to find that Mira really did need to get back to work. It was nearing lunchtime, after all. She only led her younger sister over to the bar and sat her down right next to Laxus.

He got a frown from Lisanna when he tapped her gently on the head.

"Where's your husband?" he asked, acting way too kind and curious than Lisanna was used to, coming from him. Then again, wasn't he technically her…brother-in-law or something? Maybe they got along well? Or- "Lisanna?"

"Uh…training," she decided then. He only nodded as the child in his lap took to wiggling.

"Think your kid wants you." He pressed a kiss to the toddler's head though before handing her over. And Lisanna had no idea what to do with her. She really, really wasn't up for taking care of someone else at the moment.

"You okay?" Laxus asked her when he saw the look on her face. "Are you-"

"She's fine, Laxus," Mirajane said as she came over to refill his beer. "How about you deal with, gee, I dunno, actual master things instead of bothering my sister, huh?"

"You're pushing it, demon," he grumbled, going back to listening to his music. "I already know now that the damn Salamander got back from a job that it's only a number of days before I get a letter, requesting some sort of reparations or some shit for the shit that he broke."

"No cursing," his wife said, making a face at him. "The baby's right here."

That got a grunt before he literally reached over and started tickling the toddler. Lisanna had had enough. It was all just too much.

"Do you know when Elfman gets back? Mirajane?" Lisanna asked her then. "Do you think it's soon?"

"They left three days ago, so yeah. Maybe even today, huh?"

She was being called away then though and scurried off, leaving her alone with Laxus once more. But he was messing with his headphones, giving Lisanna her escape.

Except she still had the dang baby.

That was okay though. She only stood, keeping her in her arms, as she tried to head out of the guildhall. She wanted to just go back home, honestly.

But…where was that again?

Ugh. And she had the little boy to worry about to.

"You seem real nice and stuff, but I'm really wishing right now that my future self hadn't had you," Lisanna whispered to Bell, who was only snuggling close to her, giggling. "And I have yet to hear one solid reason to name a kid after Mira."

In the end, she found herself sitting with Natsu and Lucy once more, him wanting her to hear about his latest tale of bravery. Happy was real excited too about the job they'd just finished and Lisanna tried hard to listen, but her mind was racing.

It wasn't like she was expecting things to all be exactly the same, but at the same time, did they have to be so different?

When Bickslow showed back up at the guild, he seemed shocked to find her there, but was happy about it.

"We can go home in a minute," he told her. "Just wanna have a drink, huh?"

Great. And then he had to go and sit with her too, like they were just so happy together.

Then again, she was pretty sure they were.

Honestly, her stomach was clinching up then as she thought about the ramifications of having to go home with him again. She was going to have to try and sleep in the same bed with him and, honestly, after the night before, she didn't think she could go on another night of no sleep at all. Honestly, she just couldn't.

She was hoping that Mirajane would have some great scheme for her to get out of going home with him, but she was drawing blanks too.

"Just tell him that you have a headache. Or ooh, start a fight for no reason so that you can kick him out of the room to sleep on the couch," she suggest. "That's what I do to Laxus when I don't want to have sex."

Sex? Who said anything about… Oh no.

"So are you really feeling better, Lissy?" Bickslow asked as they headed home some time later, Bella riding up on his shoulders and Ryker running slightly ahead of them. He seemed to have some sort of rule or something about stopping at the end of each block that he followed perfectly. It was better than Lisanna having to hold his hand again…

"Yeah," she said slowly. She'd decided until Levy showed up and could help her out some that she'd keep quiet about the whole thing. "Loads better. I just… Maybe it was something I ate last night?"

"Maybe," he said as his babies circling around repeated the word. "Anything else we need to get done today? Before we get home?"

"N-Nope," she said slowly. "Nothing."

"Great." He grinned over at her, tongue falling from his mouth. "Quiet night in, huh?"

"Real quiet."

Or at least she hoped.

* * *

><p><strong>Arg. It's been over a week, I know, but I just got distracted, huh? Hopefully the next one won't take as long. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Fast Forward

Chapter 3

"What do you wanna do for dinner tonight, Lissy?" Bickslow asked as they walked into their apartment. "You wanna make something or do you want me to go out and get something later?"

She really didn't feel like making any decisions at all, honestly. When she only went to go sit on the couch, Bickslow only grinned.

"I'll go get us something," he said nodding slightly. Ryker immediately ran off to his room, most of Bickslow's dolls following, while his daughter only whined from his shoulders, wanting down.

"What do you wanna do, Bella?" he asked, reaching up to get her down. "You guys left most your toys in here. You wanna play with those?

The toddler only giggled. "Papa."

"You wanna play, Lissy?" He dropped to the ground almost immediately next to his daughter, over by her toys. "Or you gonna sit there looking all sore?"

She was actually more contemplative than anything else. She still, for the life of her, could not understand how she got involved with Bickslow. No matter how heartbroken she might be if Lucy and Natsu got together the idea of her falling for…or even being friends with…

Bickslow groaned as he pushed his helmet off his head, which the toddler in front of him loved for some reason, immediately clapping her hands. He only made a face at her.

"You don't like my sallet, kid?" he asked her. "Huh?"

Sure, he seemed nice enough, Lisanna would give him that. And the kids seemed to like him. But…he was still Bickslow.

"Papa, can we go the park?"

The little boy was back then, the dolls trailing along behind him, whining his question as loudly as they would one of Bickslow's.

"No," he told him as he laid on is stomach, marching around little action figures with his daughter. Their daughter. Gah! She felt like she was going to be sick.

"How come?"

"We went to the park the other day, buddy," he told him as he came over to play as well. "And Mommy don't feel well."

"She don't?" Ryker looked over at her, frowning. "Not fakin'?"

"No," she said, frowning at him. "I'm not faking."

Little brat.

"Besides, Papa really needs a shower anyhow," Bickslow said as he kissed the little girl's head as well as the boy's. Then he pushed up and headed out of the room. "You stay in here, Ryker. Play with your sister."

"She's borin'."

"You're boring."

"Papa," he complained.

"Well, you are."

"Bickslow," Lisanna found herself snapping then, without meaning to. It was just reflexive, really. He only cackled though, along with his dolls, though they stayed over with the kids.

She watched them for awhile, figuring that was what she was supposed to be doing, before eventually getting to her feet.

"I'll be right back," she told them both before heading off, into the bedroom that she apparently shared with Bickslow. She was hoping to find a bookcase or something, maybe if she had missed one before, but no such luck. Considering they were both mages, she thought that they would have at least one or two books of spells lying around, but she was coming up with nothing.

"What you lookin' for, Lissy?"

"A book," she told Bickslow as he came out of the adjoining bathroom, only wearing a towel, a smaller one in his hand which he was using to scrub at his hair. "Have you seen me with one recently? Of spells?"

Crossing the room over to the closet, he asked, "You losing your mind, babe?"

"No," she told him. "I just…"

Honestly, in that moment, she was more concerned with the fact that she was in the same room as a near naked man.

"Haven't seen you read nothin' recently," he said with a shrug. "But you and Levy have been spending some time with one another. You think you left it at her place? And that's what you're thinking of?"

"Maybe," she sighed, glancing over at him. She turned bright red though as he'd dropped his towel as he'd moved over to the dresser and was pulling on a fresh pair of boxers.

It just wasn't going to work. She was not going to be able to pretend to be her future self. Not if her future self had to put up with that constantly.

"You really want me to go out again tonight?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Then I gotta put my Mohawk back up and I ain't really down for that."

"Can't you just wear your silly little helmet?"

He turned fully then to face her. "Silly? Little? Helmet?"

"That's what I asked."

Scoff. "I don't believe you, Lissy. You're weird today. Making fun of me, saying you ain't married to me. Or are you just jealous?"

"Of what?"

"Gee, my strength, good looks, the fact that our kids like me better?" He was pulling on a shirt then. "The possibilities are endless."

"Whatever." She headed to the door. "I was only-"

"I'm kidding, kid." He grabbed her arm when she passed, finally fully dressed. "What is up with you today? You have, like, the thinnest skin in the world suddenly."

"I'm just not in the mood, alright?"

He pulled her close, resting his head against hers, apparently not noticing or not caring that she wasn't returning his affection.

"Lisanna." He nuzzled his head into her neck, leaning down to do so. "You're just grumpy, huh?"

"I didn't sleep well."

"Poor Lissy," he sighed. "Hey, you wanna take a nap? I'll take care of the kids. Like I said, they do like me better."

He smelt good. Whatever bodywash he used was very nice.

"You just rest, kid, huh?" He let her go then only to pat her on the head. "I'll wake you when I head out to get dinner. Okay?"

At the very least it'd give her a chance to be alone.

"'kay."

Then he did this annoying thing where he kissed her head and Lisanna had to stand there and take it, because they were in love and he was just being his normal self.

"Love you," he mumbled to her and it was so random that she froze up, unable to repeat it. That was okay though, as he wasn't waiting for her to. He just headed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. She heard him laughing not soon after that, calling out to his kids in a loud voice that they better all keep it down, that Mama was sleeping.

Ha ha.

Without him in it, the bed wasn't wholly uncomfortable. And when she curled up on the side she knew was his, she could smell that same soap or cologne or whatever it was that smelled so nice. Maybe Bickslow wasn't all bad…

* * *

><p>"Lissy? You gotta wake up."<p>

Groaning slightly, Lisanna tried to open her eyes, but she was too tired. Then she felt the bed dip and suddenly, there was a snuggly toddler next to her on the bed.

"Me and Ryker are going to go pick up some food," she heard Bickslow said. "You gotta watch Bell, huh?"

Peeking an eye open, she found Bickslow standing at the edge of the bed, staring down at her.

"Okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered softy, trying hard to hide the disappointment that, once again, she'd woken up into a living nightmare. "I will."

"Stay with Lissy, huh, Bell?" Bickslow reached out to pat the child gently on the head before turning and walking off, shoving the helmet that he was holding on his head while he was at it. Ryker, who had followed him in the room, quickly followed him out, giggling the whole way. "Be back soon."

After they left, she just laid there for awhile as the child next to her only snuggled close, babbling something or other. Eventually, she found herself snuggling the child right back, if only for lack of any better plan.

"You really are cute," she told the little girl as she only giggled. "I mean, if I had to have a daughter, you wouldn't be such a bad one to have. I just wish you had a different father though…"

The child only patted her on the cheek though, grinning, happy that she was getting attention. Looking at her reminded Lisanna of the fact that Laxus had been so nice to the baby when they were up at the guild, which was odd. And he was the master, which was worse. And he was married to Mirajane, which was just downright wrong. Plain wrong.

When Bickslow returned with takeout, the little boy, Ryker, was more than wound up. He was talking a lot more than Lisanna had heard him the entire time. His words were basic, of course, but that didn't stop him from explaining his day to his father in full detail.

"Uh-huh," Bickslow was saying as he made the little boy sit at the kitchen table, Lisanna only making a face at how much he was saying and how fast. He was so excited that, and she hated it, but his tongue fell from his mouth. She was afraid that he'd bite it off or something, but he seemed to be able to both speak and stick it out. Then again, he was Bickslow's son…

Gah! Everyone in the guild and she chose him?

"Here you go, Bell." Bickslow sat her in Lisanna's lap, making her frown.

"Uh," she said slowly. "Why do I have to hold her again?"

"How else would she eat, Lissy?" He went back to digging through the bag of takeout, pulling stuff out.

"Why can't we just, like, buy her a high chair or something?"

"That'd be stupid," he said. "She's almost tall enough that she can sit at the table."

"I meant why didn't we before?"

"Why should we waste money on junk like that when we have perfectly good laps? Eh?" He frowned at her. "You sure you're okay today?"

"I'm fine," she said. She'd already tried that morning to convince him that she wasn't, well, her, and it hadn't gone well at all. And besides, Mirajane said that Levy should be back soon. "Really."

Ryker giggled. "I'm fine."

"I know you are, buddy," Bickslow sighed as he went to take his own seat. "Trust me, I know."

His babies had followed them into the kitchen and taken up residence on the center of the table, all speaking nonsense constantly, as if conversing with one another. It didn't seem to bother anyone else, but they were only furthering Lisanna's headache.

"You got anything that you wanna do tomorrow, Lissy?" Bickslow asked. "Gonna train or something? Do I gotta watch the kids?"

"Yes," she said without thinking about it. It would give her a chance to get away from all three of them, maybe get the whole thing figured out. "Please."

"That's fine," he said, nodding his head. "Where you wanna go tomorrow, Ryke? Huh?"

"Park," he said then, excitedly.

"Say please."

"Please?"

Bickslow stuck his tongue out. "Of course we can go to the park!"

Then the boy was cheering and that made the little girl giggle and they were just all so loud. Were they always that loud?

After dinner, Bickslow took Bell off to be bathed, the babies following along after him. That left Lisanna on Ryker duty.

"Wanna play trains?"

She only stood in his bedroom, looking around some. She hadn't actually gone in it yet, but wasn't surprised to find it just to be a small room, littered with toys. Apparently, her future self and Bickslow weren't very tidy people. Or at least they didn't make their kids clean up.

"Mommy?" Ryker had dropped down onto the ground over by some wooden trains, but only stared up at her when she didn't come over to play with him. "Play trains?"

"I don't really want to," she told him, though she did come to sit on his bed. "I'll, uh, watch you though. Huh?"

He only looked at her for a minute before giggling and getting right down to playing. Lisanna only hunched forwards, resting her elbows against her knees as she watched the boy. He was pretty much the same as the little girl to her. He seemed sweet and she wouldn't mind having a son, but…Bickslow…

"Baby's in her crib if you wanna go say goodnight," is what the man in question said to her when he came into the room. "Lissy."

"In a minute," she sighed, really not feeling up for that. He only came further into the room, going to snatch up Ryker.

"Papa-"

"Time for your bath, Ryke." He looked at Lisanna. "You wanna give it to him or-"

"No."

"Okay," he sang slowly, turning to walk off. "For someone that's just fine today, you sure are acting weird."

She sat there too, even after she was left alone in the room. It wasn't like she'd feel anymore comfortable in another room of the apartment. While she was sitting there though, she heard the little girl start up, whining from her own bedroom.

Knowing that he was busy with the other kid, she figured that she had to deal with the other one. With a sigh, she got to her feet before heading off to peek in at the little girl.

"What wrong with you?" she softly spoke as she came into the room. "Bell? Huh?"

She was sitting up in her crib, wailing. When she saw Lisanna though, she only reached for her.

"Here you go." She quickly moved to lift the child out of the crib. "Were you just lonely?"

That seemed to be it as the toddler only wrapped her arms around the woman's neck, snuggling close to her.

"I should have come and told you goodnight, I guess," Lisanna sighed. "Is that what your mommy normally does? Huh?"

"Huh? Huh?"

She about died then, at the sound of other people in the room with her until she turned and found it was just Bickslow's dolls, hiding in the darkness. From that morning she could remember them having slept in the bedroom with the little boy, or so she gathered from the fact they entered with him.

The toddler in her arms only giggled though, oblivious to the fact that her mother's heart had just stopped, always glad to see the toys.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Lisanna grumbled, glancing over her shoulder at them. It was two of them, but she had no idea which two. "Shouldn't you be with Bickslow?"

"Papa," they cried, coming to circle around Lisanna's head. "Papa!"

"Papa," Bell mimicked as Lisanna only rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You're not supposed to be getting all worked up again," she told her daughter softly as she gently bounced her. "You're supposed to be going to sleep. You wanna go to sleep? Huh? What does your mommy normally do to get you to go to sleep? Huh?"

At least she'd stopped crying though, which Lisanna counted as a plus. She was still trying to get her to go to sleep though when Bickslow came into the room.

"What's wrong, huh?" he asked, bringing the other dolls in there with him. "Little baby upset?"

"Where's the boy?"

"Ryke's in bed." Bickslow came over to take their daughter from her, grinning over at her. 'You still look tired, Lissy. You can go to bed or go relax or something. I got this."

She couldn't help it as she smiled at him slightly. Even though she could never see herself ending up with him, he did seem to be rather kind. And he appeared to love his kids. Or at least he liked playing with them and being overly loud at every chance he got.

Before going to bed though, she went to search around for that spell book once more. Then she gave up and headed back to her bedroom, going first to the bathroom to peek in the medicine cabinet. Her head was pounding and she wanted to find something to cure that.

She was popping open a pill bottle when Bickslow came into the bedroom, calling out to her.

"What are you doin', Lissy? Thought you were going to bed?"

"I have a headache."

"Ah. That sucks."

She tossed back her pills, cupping her hand under the sink faucet to get some water to wash them down.

"You wanna, like, neck rub or something?"

"No," she told him as she left the bathroom, shutting the light off behind her. "I don't."

"Great! You wanna give me one?"

"Bickslow-"

"I'm just kidding." He was stripping down then, to his boxers. When he pulled his shirt off though, he tossed it at her. Out of reflex, Lisanna caught it, but she didn't know what to do with it. When she didn't do what he wanted, he only frowned.

"Ain't you going to bed?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I didn't get stains or nothing on it," he said, nodding at the shirt. "I know I was real messy at dinner, but trust me. And I changed after my shower. You saw me."

She only stared at him. He wanted to…wear it?

Coming closer, he pressed a kiss to her head.

"I'll be in the living room, huh?" He patted her on the head. "I'll come to bed later. G'night."

"Night," she whispered softly as he headed out of the room. Maybe if she fell asleep before he got into bed she'd stay asleep and not wake up when he joined her. That would at least get her a good night's rest.

Maybe things would look up in the morning. Or better yet, all be resolved by then. It had been a day, after all. Whatever spell or curse or whatever she'd activated, maybe it'd worn off.

Or maybe the dream ended! She sure hoped it was that one.

Slowly, she stripped down, there, alone in the bedroom that was supposed to be hers, and after a sniff, she found that his shirt smelled like that soap he used that she liked so much. Pulling it over her head, she'd have been lying to say that it wasn't somewhat comfy.

Wasn't that what every girl dreamed of when she was a kid? To have a husband that cared about her, to have a son and daughter, and to be happy?

Of course, helmet wearing maniacs who tattoo their face and play with dolls rarely factored into those dreams, but everything couldn't be perfect, could it?

She was probably only asleep for two hours when he joined her. The way he got into bed was what awoke her once more.

"What are you-"

"Stuck the landing," he announced after he'd taken a running dive for the bed, landing face first into the mattress.

"Bickslow-"

"Keep your voice down." He rolled onto his back. "'less you wanna wake up the kids."

"Why did you do that?"

"Why wouldn't I have?"

"Because I was sleeping," she complained as she took to glaring at him, forgetting for a moment that she was lying next to him in their supposedly shared bed, being far closer to one another than she would have liked. In that moment, all she knew was that he'd awoken her for a stupid reason. "I mean, seriously, Bickslow?"

He only patted her on the head. "Settle down, Lissy. Gettin' all worked up over nothing."

"You woke-"

"I wanted to wake you up."

"What? Why?"

"'cause I love you."

"Bickslow-"

"I just wanted to talk," he said then as he sunk down into the bed. "I didn't even get to tell you about my training."

"What?" She glared at him. "You woke me up because you-"

"Because I'm feeling under appreciated? Yes. Very much so."

"Bickslow-"

"Listen, listen, listen. I played into you today. You know that you've only been acting this way to get back at me."

"Back at you?"

He nodded. "'cause I said that stuff the other day? About how I want another kid, but you were all mean to me and told me no and then we fought? So now you're being even meaner?"

"I'm not being…mean to you," she said, frowning. "I just- And we already have two kids, don't we? That are under five? So-"

"Bah! So what?"

"So what?" She didn't have a stake in the battle, really, but she was getting rather caught up in the moment. "We have a three bedroom apartment with hardly no space-"

"We're happy though, aren't we? And you don't wanna take jobs now anyhow," he insisted. "So why not get, you know, knocked up?"

"Bickslow-"

"Is it my fault that I want to have tons of kids? That I like playing with them? And-"

"You have children. Two. A boy and a girl."

"And I want more! Ryker wants a brother."

"Well, you had a shot at it and you ruined it."

Reaching over, he tapped her nose. "I demand a redo!"

She batted his hand away with a frown. "Oh? And what about Bell?"

"Oh, no, we're keeping the product. We just want a second go at the experiment."

"You're so-" And then she stopped herself, suddenly remembering that she had no reason to care about any of it. At all. Because it wasn't her life. She wasn't his wife. And she never planned to be. So whatever alternative universe Lisanna decided it would be a good idea to marry and have children with him could deal with her own consequences.

"We're not talking about this anymore." She scooted away from him and gave him her back. "Goodnight."

"You cheat," he accused before just snuggling up closer to her.

"Bickslow-"

"Come on, Lissy. This isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair." If it was, she wouldn't be arguing with him at that moment. "And I'm going to sleep. I have to get to the guild early tomorrow."

Sigh. Then he shifted back onto his own side of the bed. "Night then."

It wasn't as hard as the night before, sleeping in bed with him. Mainly because they seemed to be fighting or whatever, meaning he kept to his side and left her alone. Lisanna only prayed that in the morning, things would be right again.

But they weren't.

She was awoken at two in the morning to the sound of crying. Bickslow was no longer in bed with her though and she assumed he'd gone off to deal with it. The baby probably needed a diaper change or something. After a moment, the crying stopped and she was able to drift back off.

"Thought you were getting up early, kid?"

Until that.

Lisanna groaned, opening her eyes to find that she was still snuggled up to her pillow. In bed with her though was Bell and standing next to it was Bickslow. He was already dressed for the day, Ryker standing next to him, hair freshly gelled into a Mohawk, just like his father.

Ugh.

"Me and the kids are going to the park," he said as Bell, who was sitting on the bed next to her, giggled. "They wanted to be sure you didn't want to go with us?"

"No," she groaned. "I don't."

"Okay," Bickslow sang, reaching out to lift Bell into his arms once more. "Then we're taking off. Should I bring you back something for lunch?"

"I told you that I'm going down the guild."

He only shrugged as Bell settled in his arms. "Say bye to Mama, guys."

"Bye," Ryker giggled as Bickslow dolls, who were floating over head, cackled.

"Bye, Mama," they sang. "Bye!"

After they were gone, she only sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes as her head pounded.

Why couldn't she just go home? To her real home? She didn't want to be married to Bickslow, she didn't want to have children, and she certainly didn't want to live in a world where freaking Laxus was guild master.

Oh, and the Natsu thing too. Funny how that became a backburner topic when she was dealing with so many different things.

It was actually so unimportant in that moment that she just didn't care about it. Let Natsu and Lucy be together. It was whatever to her. She just wanted to end up with someone other than Bickslow…

Unless…was that her only option?

Groaning, she shoved out of bed and headed towards the bathroom to grab a quick shower.

"I just got to get down to the guild," she reminded herself as she stripped down. "That's all. And Levy will probably be back. She'll know what to do. Some stupid spell or something. She knows everything. She always does."

* * *

><p><strong>Still been a week, but that's a little better, huh? <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Fast Forward

Chapter 4

"It was so weird," Lisanna said to Mirajane after arriving at the guildhall that day. "He, like, was arguing with me and I just… I dunno. I found myself arguing back with him."

"Mmmm." Mirajane was wiping down the bar like usual and hardly glanced up at her sister. "You told me a few weeks ago that he- Well, you know. My you told me that he wanted another."

"And he was so into the argument too," Lisanna told her. "I just… I don't want to deal with this. It's not fair. I'm not the one that decided to have be with Bickslow."

"But you are," Mira told her with a sigh. "Or at least you will be."

"Still though, I…I don't know."

"What are you guys talking about?"

They were joined suddenly by Laxus who only took a seat at the bar before looking at Mirajane, no doubt awaiting her to give him his drink.

"Just how much of a loser you are."

"Shut up, Mira."

She only giggled, rushing to get him his preferred beverage. Lisanna narrowed her eyes at him, as if judging him. When Laxus noticed, he only took to staring back at her.

"What?"

"What?"

"Why are you-"

"I'm not doing anything."

He just took to facing the bar again. "Where are your brats anyhow?"

"With Bickslow."

"Hn."

"Hey, Laxus." Mirajane was in front of him then, setting down his drink before leaning over the bar to stare into his eyes. "Do you know when Kinana's going to get in?"

"No," he said, only moving to sling back some of his drink. "Why? You got plans, demon?"

"I dunno yet."

"Wh-"

Just then, the guildhall doors opened, distracting Mirajane as looked to see who was coming in. Noting her distraction, Laxus turned to glance as well, Lisanna quickly taking a peek too.

"Not Levy," Lisanna sighed, but that apparently was a plus to both Mira and Laxus, as he got to his feet and Mira headed around the bar. Most everyone else in the guildhall had stopped breathing too.

"What?" Lisanna asked. "It's just Erza."

But it wasn't just Erza. Not in their minds at least. It wasn't until she saw Natsu, who had been over at the request board, looking it over, turn to rush to the woman that she remembered something.

"We thought you were dead," Natsu was saying as Happy fluttered over as well, landing on Erza's head. She was standing there, still in standard armor, but an updated version from the one Lisanna knew (considering how years had passed, that wasn't too shocking), but one point of interest was her right eye was covered by an eye patch.

It wasn't Natsu she was concerned with though as Laxus was approaching then. She only held out her hand to him, dropping something in his open palm.

"You're here," Mira whispered as she came to peek down at what Laxus was clutching in his hand. "And you…did it?"

"Of course," she said as Laxus only stared at her. "It was not without challenge, but… My journey has many tales to it, but at the moment, I-"

"You will drink now," Laxus assured her as others gathered around too. Lisanna hung back at the bar, as if still in shock. "For free. Forever."

"Laxus," Mirajane whispered, but he only stared at the woman who bowed her head slightly.

"That is a kind offer, but I only-"

"You've saved us all," he told her as he pocketed whatever it was that she'd given him. "Again."

"With a subtraction, I see," Mira said then, nodding at the woman's eye patch.

"It was artificial to begin with," Erza said simply as Happy, who was on her head, scooted forwards slightly so he could hang his own off hers and stare at her. Erza only smiled. "It is good to see you too, Happy."

"What happened?" he asked.

"To my eye? It was poked out. Most gruesome, but it's been, what? A year now since that happened. I've gone on without it quite fine."

"Wendy will craft you a new one immediately," Laxus told her before looking at Mirajane. "I have something I must take care of now. You-"

"I'll take care of things here."

Laxus moved then, shocking most everyone, to toss an arm around Erza and hug her. She was stiff at first, but quickly returned it. Mirajane though, from her position, could tell what was really happening.

He was whispering something in her ear.

When he finished, he only patted her on both her arms before turning to walk out of the guildhall.

Most everyone was ecstatic over Erza's arrival. Natsu even left, just so that he could go get Gray and Lucy.

"I'll be back super fast though," he assured the reequip mage who only smiled at him. "Come on, Hap."

But he didn't move from his spot atop of Erza's head and Natsu didn't want for him.

"Lisanna," Erza greeted as she came over to the bar to take a seat. She only stared at her though. "I still have you to thank, of course."

"Of course," Lisanna whispered, staring at her. "Why of course?"

"Because you told me exactly where to search, down to the last detail," Erza told her, smiling slightly. "Do not act coy now. I would be dead, should it not have been for you, I am sure. I would not even have taken the job, had it not been for-"

"I'm not… I don't…"

"Lisanna's been having a few troubles of her own," Mirajane said as she rushed to get Erza a drink as well as some food started. Others were around then, just waiting for Erza to begin her tale. She had three years of stories saved up, after all. She refused to speak though until Gray and Lucy arrived. Lisanna figured they all still had quite the bond.

"Lucy's been slacking, Erza," Happy told her as he moved to stand instead on the bar. "Since you haven't been around, all she does is stay at home."

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you've just been the ideal little mage, haven't you, Happy?" Mirajane giggled.

"Of course," he said before adding, "You should have taken me with you on your trip. I bet you would have finished it twice as fast then."

"I bet," Erza agreed. "But my oracle made no mention of you."

"Oracle." Lisanna only stared hard at Erza before glancing at Mirajane. She only shrugged though.

Things were even more joyous when Lucy and Gray arrived. It basically just became a party for Team Natsu, all being reunited again. And Wendy, when she got there, was most concerned with Erza's missing eye.

"I'd leave it like it is," Natsu told her. "Makes people think that you're even more badass!"

In all the excitement over Erza returning, Mirajane was swamped with work. That left her little time to help Lisanna out with her problem and, because she was still her sister regardless of the time period, Lisanna went to work helping her behind the bar.

"What a morning for Kinana to have off, huh?" Mirajane sighed. "Hope she gets here this afternoon, at least."

Lisanna was more bothered by what Erza had said. She had told her of her journey and such before hand. That meant, obviously, that she'd been to the future before. Or at least the her from the future. Or the present.

Ugh. Her head hurt.

Laxus showed back up eventually, though he only requested Mirajane bring him a beer down in the bookroom and to be left alone. Mira was so busy though that she sent Lisanna down there with it.

"Here you go, uh, Master," she said uneasily as she came down the stairs to find him at a table with a book spread across it. Laxus hardly glanced up at her.

"Thanks," left his mouth, but it was hardly a whisper. Lisanna found herself glancing over his shoulder without meaning to, at the book he had out. It looked ancient.

"You looking for something?"

"What?" He hadn't been listening to her and glanced up.

"I just meant… Doesn't Lucy have that spirit that can look up stuff super fast?" Lisanna cocked her head to the side. "Just trying to help, is all."

Laxus grunted before going back to the book. "Gramps kept it all under wraps, suppose I should do the same."

"But what are you-"

"I'm not in the mood for the dumb act right now, Lisanna," he told her. "Come back with another beer in twenty minutes or so, huh?"

"Laxus…"

"What?"

"N-Never mind. I'll be back then. Did you want anything else?"

"My wife instead of you, but I'll take what I can get."

Things had calmed down some upstairs when she returned, but that was only because Erza was speaking on her adventure and most everyone was so keyed in on that that everything else was void.

"Laxus says that he wants you next time," Lisanna told her sister as she joined her behind the bar. "In twenty minutes."

"Laxus can get over himself." But, even though she'd only been observing their relationship for a few days, Lisanna knew that her sister would be filling that request.

Bickslow showed up eventually, along with their kids. And Lucy and Natsu's daughter, who'd been stuck listening to what Lisanna was sure a boring story to her, was more than happy to have some company.

"Erza's back, huh?" Bickslow said, glancing over at where the woman was sitting as Lisanna met him a little ways away from the bar. "Damn."

The baby in his arms wanted her mother then and, with a sigh, Lisanna took the toddler from him. Another day wasted with nothing getting done.

Although, Lisanna was glad to find that Erza seemed to have futuristic knowledge. Which meant that it had all happened before. Right? That she had gone to the future, gotten sent back to her own time, and then told Erza later what she learned. Which meant that Lisanna would be going home eventually.

Or so she hoped.

Kinana had arrived by that point and Mirajane told Lisanna she could leave if she liked. And Natsu, he was in such a good mood, that he said that Ryker could spend the night with them that night, which made his daughter and her son very happy.

Whatever. It got one of Lisanna's problems out of her hair for awhile.

"I can't believe she's back," Bickslow kept saying the whole way home. "I mean… This is great, of course! But still."

"Hey, Bickslow?" She felt silly saying his full name constantly when he seemed to have a nickname for her, but couldn't figure out what her future self could possible call him. Annoying?

"Mmmm?"

"Erza said something about me," she said slowly, glancing at him then. "About me telling her stuff?"

"What do you mean?" The baby was back in his arms then and was very concerned with making him pay her some attention. She kept patting at his face. His dolls seemed concerned with the same thing, calling out to him frequently as they circled overhead.

"About how I told her…I dunno. About her trip before she took it? She called me her oracle. And-"

"Yeah, of course, Lissy," he said, glancing over at her. "You were super descriptive about shit. You had this…this…journal where you'd written stuff down for her. Real graphic. Told her all sorts of stuff. You didn't mention anything about that eye though."

"But you guys didn't question how I would know all of that?"

"Me? Personally? I thought you were bullshitting for some reason," he said. "And Mirajane got real upset with you, like you were trying to force Erza into going. She didn't want her to. She and Laxus got into a huge fight over it, yeah? But now she's back. And she's okay. So I guess you are kinda our little oracle, ain't' ya?"

She had her arms wrapped around herself and only shook her head slightly. What could have been so important anyhow? That Erza would need to risk her life to get? Whatever it was, Laxus seemed to think that it was important.

But since when did she trust Laxus so much?

At home, Bell was seemed to be overly tired and just wanted to nap. Which was fine. Another problem down.

"Lissy! I think I broke the toaster!"

Only one more to go.

"Keep it down," Lisanna complained as she joined her supposed husband in the kitchen. "I just put the baby to bed. And how did you break the toaster?"

"I dunno. It won't go down."

"It's not plugged in, stupid."

"Oh, I'm stupid now?"

"Uh, yeah, Bickslow, just a little."

She had a feeling though that he made such big gestures out of small things only to get her attention. It had less to do with actually needing help as much as he just had a problem with not having her full focus twenty-four seven.

"You sure are mean recently," he complained as she came over to plug the toaster in for him. "I get it, okay? You're all pissed at me about wanting another baby. I won't want that anymore. Fine. Just stop acting this way."

"Acting what way? I-"

"You don't even wear your ring anymore," he complained, nodding at her hand. Lisanna frowned at this. "So what? Is it that big of a deal that-"

"I don't…" She glanced won at her hand. "I don't know where it's out."

"Seriously, Lissy?"

"Yes, seriously, Bickslow."

"Seriously, Papa," his dolls, who had fluttered in, complained. She had to question why they were so quick to take her side over his, but then again, she was supposed to be their mother, right?

Ugh. When she pictured her future, fine, maybe she had been a little off with dreaming of white and pink hair children, but did that mean that she had to take a nosedive and go for seiths instead?

"Well," he said then, frowning. "Why didn't you say so? We gotta find it then, huh?"

"I-"

"When did you last see it?"

"I dunno."

"Well… We'll just get you another one then."

She blinked. Now, she didn't think that she and Bickslow were well off by any regards and she didn't rightly consider them poor, but…he was just going to buy her a new ring? Just like that?

"I'll get another one too." She watched then as he reached down to pull a green color ring off his finger. "I'm thinking of…red. I like the color red now. What color do you-"

"We have plastic rings?" She reached out to snatch the green one from him. "Bickslow?"

"Man, did you get hit in the head or something?" Just to make sure, he moved closer and knocked his knuckles against her noggin. "Uh, Lissy? Wake up, huh? It's not funny anymore."

She only stared at him though. "Is that all I mean to you?"

"It's not funny," he repeated as he went back to watch the toaster, waiting to see if his toast would pop yet. "Now, red? You feeling red? I'm feeling red."

What kind of relationship was she in anyhow? This was the guy that she loved? No wonder she'd been sent to the future. Just to see not to make that mistake, apparently.

"Now that we got rid of Ryker for the night," Bickslow kept up, still not looking at her again. "You wanna do something fun tonight? Me and you?"

"What about the baby?" Honestly, she was hardly listening to him, instead trying to figure out what horrible thing she done in her past to be sentenced to Bickslow.

"You know that your sister always wants to keep her for the night. And it ain't fair that Ryker gets to go somewhere and Bell don't. Then me and you can go out to dinner, huh? Where you wanna go? We can celebrate you being an oracle!"

"Stop calling me that."

"Kid," he groaned, shooting her a glance then, finally. "You're killing me here. What do I have to do for us to makeup again? Huh? I'm trying to take you out somewhere nice here and that ain't working. I've taken over watching the kids today, you don't like that. What? What do you want, Lisanna?"

To go home. To get away from him. To get away from all of them. To not see Mirajane be in love with Laxus. To not have to watch Natsu be happy with Lucy.

But apparently, it didn't matter if she went home or not. Because within a year's time, all of that would begin to unfold anyhow.

Was it punishment? Showing her what a miserable life she was going to live? And then make her follow through with it?

When she got back, she decided then, she'd spill it all to Natsu. And not in those little, reserved ways that she had been before. She was going to be upfront with him. Tell him that she was in love with him. And cut off Lucy at the knees. She'd get Natsu and she could have…anyone for all Lisanna cared. Bickslow. Maybe even Laxus to save Mirajane from being stuck with him.

Oh, and she'd help Erza to the best of her ability too, if it present itself. That was the one good thing that had happened, apparently.

"I don't know," she found herself saying to Bickslow then who only shook his head.

"Whatever. I'll take Bell out then, huh? When she finishes her nap. And we'll have a great time without you!"

Great. So she'd upset him again. Turning, she only walked off, not sure where she wanted to go. Not back to their bedroom. Spending time in there hadn't helped anything. She was about to sit down on the couch when there was a hurried knock at the door.

Figuring it was best to just answer it and save Bickslow the trouble (he was still pouting), Lisanna went to the door.

"Lisanna!" It was Mirajane, of course, who only tossed her arms around the woman. "I have something great for you!"

"What are you-"

"You have to come back down to the guild with me. Now. You-"

"Take her."

Bickslow was there then, coming out of the kitchen with his toast, glaring over at them. "And maybe bring me back my wife, huh? Because the way she's been acting-"

"I might be able to do just that," Mirajane told Bickslow, making his frown.

"What are you-"

"Lisanna'll probably be back late tonight," her sister was saying then as she let go of her. "Get your coat, Lisanna. And hurry. Can you watch the baby tonight, Bickslow?"

"I guess so," he mumbled. "But what-"

"I'll be back," Lisanna cut him off, though she prayed to all she knew that she wouldn't be. That she'd be able to go back home, to her real home, and be done with him. "Late. So-"

"Bye, Bickslow!" Mirajane pulled her out of there real fast. Not that Lisanna was complaining. After shutting the door, they started out of the apartment building, the eldest of the two Strauss girls laughing.

"Mirajane," Lisanna began as her sister kept their arms interlocked. "What-"

"Today just gets better," she said as she tugged her along. "Levy's back."

"Seriously? Did you talk to her for me? Did you-"

"No," Mira said, shaking her head. "I just kinda freaked and came to get you."

"That's still great. Yes. This is awesome. So I can go home now and-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself now, Lisanna," her sister reminded gently as they only walked on. "Levy might not have any idea what's going on either."

"But didn't you hear Erza? She said that I had told her the future before," Lisanna told her sister. "That must mean that your me had time traveled as well and-"

"Let's just take things one step at a time, huh?" Mira suggested. "I mean, there's a lot to factor in here."

Lisanna nodded, but inside, she was still overly blissful. Levy knew everything. And she would fix everything.

How could she not?

When they arrived at the guildhall, things were mostly back to normal. Erza was still there and speaking over in the corner to her former team as well as Levy, who was no doubt shocked to see her.

Lisanna spotted Gajeel easily as well, seated at the bar drinking with his Exceed, his long tangled hair looking just as unimaginable as always. Next to him though was a boy with a shaved head, who was speaking excitedly. Lisanna figured it was the son that Mira had mentioned.

"Hey, Levy." Mirajane drug her sister over to the woman as quickly as possible. Her hair was cut shorter than usual, but she was still the same woman, or so Lisanna observed. "Can we talk to you for a second?"

She looked like she really wanted to stay over there and speak with Erza, but still got up and headed over to them.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked as Mira only let Lisanna go finally, looking to her. But Lisanna wasn't sure exactly how to say what she needed to without coming off crazy.

Mira saved her from that.

"Uh," she said slowly, staring at the solid script mage. "Lisanna and I… If I told you that Lisanna wasn't our Lisanna, but was rather a Lisanna from the past, what would you tell me?"

Levy blinked. Honestly, Lisanna was expecting her to giggle or something. Instead, she only let out a shriek before moving to throw her arms around Lisanna, bouncing slightly.

"It worked," she cheered as Lisanna only stiffened in her grasp. Mirajane's eyes widened as well.

"Wha-"

"I know that you don't understand this, but thank you, thank you, thank you!" Levy took to tightening her grip on Lisanna. "I can't believe you went through with it. I mean, we told you not to, but you did. And how could you wait until I went on a job, huh?"

"I don't know what you're-"

"Have you told Lucy yet?" Levy asked.

"No," Lisanna said slowly. "Why would I?"

She let her go then before rushing off, back over to the table where Lucy was. Levy only leaned down though and whispered something in the woman's ear.

"What is going on?" Lisanna asked her sister who only gave her a pointed stare back.

"Apparently, you've been keeping something from me."

"Apparently."

Lucy was rushing over to them too then, just to get an up close look at Lisanna. "So you're…not you then? Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't know that I needed to."

"Not to be annoying here," Mirajane spoke up. "But I'd kinda of like to know what's going on."

"Me too," Lisanna said, crossing her arms then. "Why am I-"

"We should go down to the bookroom," Levy said then, glancing around, as if not wishing to be overheard. "Now."

"You can't," Mirajane told them as they only headed off. "Laxus is-"

"Laxus," Lucy repeated. "I forgot about him. Have you told him yet?"

"N-"

"Why would she tell Laxus?" And then, Mirajane was beating them all out of the bar, calling over her shoulder Kinana that she was going to have to work solo for a minute.

Lisanna had a feeling Laxus was about to get it.

"Go away," the man in question called as he heard people come down the stairs to the bookroom.

"It's me."

He glanced up to find Mirajane there and only shook his head. "I'm busy. I- What are you three doing?"

"It's Lisanna," Levy said. "She- Mira!"

But she had only gone over to the table and popped Laxus in the back of the head. He frowned at this, rubbing his head while staring up at her.

"Demon-"

"So you keep secrets from me?"

"What are you-"

"Lisanna went back," Lucy said then as the rest of them came down the stairs. Laxus glanced at her before back up at Mirajane.

"Why the hell did you guys tell her?"

That got him another hit. Growling, Laxus stood.

"Demon, I am this close-"

"Why are you keeping things from me?"

"Mira-"

"It's nothing serious," Levy told them as she only walked over to the table Laxus was at the peek down at the book he was reading. "So Erza brought back the thing?"

"Yeah. She did."

"What is going on?" Mira repeated. Laxus only gave her a look.

"Can I speak without being hit?"

"It depends," his wife said.

"On what?"

"On what you say."

Lisanna was staring hard at the two of them, as if concerned for Laxus. And for Mira. She figured if her sister kept striking him, Laxus might strike her back. At her words then though, Laxus only grinned.

"You're so jealous, demon," he grumbled before leaning down to press a kiss under her lifted bangs. "I'm a guild master. You don't get to know everything. You help me in many things, fine, but even Gramps kept some things from you."

"I didn't sleep with Master, now, did I?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Laxus-"

"Could we get back to the point?" Lisanna spoke up as the man only kissed his wife on the head again. "Please? I'd really like to know what's going on."

"Me too," Mirajane said then. "Laxus."

He patted her head then before reclaiming her seat. "I think Levy would be better explaining all of this."

When he nodded at her Levy glanced up at Lisanna and blushed slightly. "You might sit. This is gonna take some time."

As Lisanna did so, Mirajane only moved to stand behind Laxus, resting her hands on his shoulders. Something told Lisanna that if she didn't like what she heard, her sister would drift from just rubbing his shoulders to strangling him.

And with that in mind, Levy began.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know, I was bad again. But I only have, hopefully, two more chapters of Parenthood left and then I can focus more on this story. Clearly, we're starting to get to the head of it. <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Fast Forward

Chapter 5

"It started when Erza came to Laxus, saying that there was a specific hundred year quest she wanted to take," the letter mage said as she walked around the room, as if in thought. Mirajane still had her hands at Laxus' neck and the man was tensing up, while Lucy only took a seat at the table as well, watching Lisanna's face as Levy spoke. "One that she and Master Makarov discussed before his…passing. Something about-"

"She wanted to go find this." Laxus produced a chain from his pocket, some sort of gem glimmering even in the dim lighting at the end of it. "The stone."

"That?" Mirajane leaned over to stare at it. "What is it? It just looks like a regular stone."

"Long ago," Levy took over once more, "it was said to have possessed a magic ability. One that even dark magic has failed time and time again to accomplish."

"What's that?"

"Resurrection," Lucy whispered.

Lisanna blinked. Then she frowned. "And you believe that?"

"You think I would have sent Erza on a death trip without thinking that?" Laxus challenged. Lisanna only raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have!"

Mira struck him in the head again.

"Demon-"

"You told me that she was going to get-"

"I had to lie to you."

"And why the hell did you have to do that?"

"Because I know you, Mirajane. You-"

"You couldn't even trust your wife? Are you serious right now? But you'd tell Lucy, Levy, and Lisanna?"

"I didn't tell them," he growled. "They're the ones that came to me about it. After Erza had already taken off."

"Why-"

'Because of Lisanna," Levy told the she-devil. Glancing at the woman in question, she said, "Our Lisanna, of course."

"What?" Mira frowned. "So Lisanna was keeping things from me too."

"Obviously."

"Laxus Dreyar, don't make me-"

"Hit me again, woman. I dare-"

"Would you both stop fighting?" Lisanna snapped at them with a frown. The look of shock Mira gave her was beaten out by the glare that her supposed 'master' had. Still, she just kept staring at Levy. "What did I tell you that-"

"You went to Erza first," she said. "And you told her about how…how you went to the future. And you knew that the quest that she was leaving on wasn't what she and Laxus were making it out to be. Then you gave her this sheet of paper, with all sorts of details about her journey that only she would know. Erza thought that you were crazy. Still though, she took it with her at your assistance and said that she would stay quiet about it, per your request.

"Then you came to me and told me that once, a few years in the future, I would help you achieve time travel through an undiscovered spell. Lucy was there too. And we both though that you were…well… It's not like you and Bickslow have the sanest life."

Lisanna blinked. Then she groaned. "Can we please not talk about that? Please?"

"You had some papers for us too," Lucy told her. "A whole journal, in fact. About the time that you went to the future. And all these detailed spells and things for Levy to look up. It was crazy, really. We still didn't believe… I mean, after Erza left and didn't come back for a year…and we were working on the time travel stuff with you, but none of it… It was just crazy. But you were so insistent-"

"I still don't know," Mira said. "Why I couldn't know."

"Because if you knew," Laxus grumbled. "What's the first thing you would have done? Huh? Tell everyone."

"I would not have."

"Mira," he sighed. "When we first started dating, we decided to keep it a secret. Not the next day, you-"

"I was too excited!"

"Anyhow," Laxus grumbled. "You idiots came to me for advice. See if I could ask around about the spell. Swore me to secrecy. The only reason I didn't send you idiots packin' was 'cause of the one time I was able to talk to Erza, through a communication lacrima, before it was… And she told me, Lisanna, that the stuff on your note was nearly precise. A few things seemed a little iffy, but it was definitely helping her. What was I supposed to do? You were claiming the only way you knew all of that was you'd been to the future when you were younger and-"

"And Mirajane couldn't know because she's a blabber mouth," Mira kept up. "Well, I'll have all of you know that I very well could keep this a secret."

"Lisanna didn't tell Bickslow," Levy said. "And I didn't tell Gajeel. And even if Lucy did tell Natsu, no one would have believed him, so we were fine on that front."

"But what I don't get," Lisanna said slowly, "is why no one could know. Couldn't someone have helped us? Or something? That-"

"Because they would have had to know why you came back," Lucy said. "And Laxus didn't want to risk it. Neither did you. You said that if anyone knew about the gem-"

"Who are we resurrecting?" she asked then, glancing at Laxus. "That you would have Erza-"

"No one."

"N-No one?"

He bowed his head slightly. "When Gramps originally spoke with Erza on it, she says that even he told her this; what's dead is dead. And as far as I'm concerned, that's the way it's going to stay."

"But Laxus-" Mira tried.

He only shook his head. "No. You bring one back, you bring them all back. It can't happen. It's dangerous. It's dark magic, practically. Resurrection should never happen. Whatever's waiting for you on the other side is what's waiting for you. That's it. We all saw what people went through to resurrect Zeref, yeah? Imagine if this stone… No. I had Erza fight tooth and nail for this. No way am I going to abuse it like everyone else has."

Still, Lisanna shook her head. "None of this makes sense to me. Still. And I came back from Edolas! This-"

"You don't have to believe it," Levy said. "In fact, I'm sure you'll go home soon."

"Really?" That brought her some joy. Even if it still felt like some sort of sick dream, the thought of home being presented to her brightened her mood. A chance to wake up. "What do I have to do?"

"Well," Levy said slowly. "First you need to go one on one with Erza, and memorize-"

"Done. I'll do it now! Then can you guys send me back."

Levy looked to the ground as the celestial mage sighed.

"Lisanna," the blonde said slowly. "It's not that simple. I mean, me and Levy, we'd kinda…given up on the whole thing. We'd failed for three straight years, after all. We're as shocked as anyone that you managed it on your own."

"Then…what?" She glanced around. "How do I get home?"

"That's the problem," the letter mage sighed. "We don't quite know."

"You what?"

"Calm down," Laxus grumbled as Mira rested her hands on his shoulders once more. "I mean, clearly you go back eventually, yeah? Else you wouldn't have been able to tell us a few years ago that you'd gone to the future. Right?"

"I…But…"

"Time travel's really complex," Lucy told her. "I mean, even with the help of Crux, I hadn't been able to-"

"Then when do I get to go home?" Lisanna looked around again. "I can't stay here! I can't…be married to Bickslow. I-"

"If it helps," Lucy offered. "You really do love him."

"_It doesn't_!"

"Look, we'll figure this out, okay?" Levy tried her best to give the other woman a grin. "I mean, if you figured out how to go back, then we should be able to figure out how to send you back too. And if not, then, well, our version of you will eventually figure out how to fast forward again. She has to. She wouldn't want to miss out on her children and-"

"She's not," Lisanna complained. "She'll get to go through it all again and leave me stuck with Bickslow."

"You're not stuck with him," Mira told her with a frown. "I mean, none of the rest of us would ever want him, but… No, yes, you're a little stuck, but-"

"How is any of this fair?" she groaned. "I-"

"I told you that we'd help you, yeah?" Levy was still trying to give her a grin. "I-"

"I didn't do it!"

Suddenly, someone was rushing down the steps of the bookroom, crying while another voice screamed their innocent. Then, both Ryker and that little blonde girl Lisanna had seen him around before, presumably Natsu and Lucy's daughter, appeared in the room, both running straight for their mothers.

Heavy footsteps were heard then, as well as a growl.

"What the hell is this, huh? A damn daycare?"

Then Gajeel was there too, coming to the bottom of the steps, glaring at the two children. Ryker had climbed up into Lisanna's lap for protection, though even at his insistence that he didn't do it, Lisanna could see the slight smirk he was sporting.

He'd done it.

And the girl's tears were fake, as they'd stopped the second she'd gotten to her mother. Gajeel's anger though was clearly real.

"Can't even sit up in the damn guildhall without-"

"Yeah, and your brat stuck around the hall too," Laxus grumbled, glaring heavily at the other slayer then. "We dealt with that. And whatever they did, they're sorry about. Ain't you, Ryker?"

No. But he still nodded.

And the little girl, who was next to Lucy's chair, said, "Yes. We're sorry."

"Sorry? A damn sorry? I-"

"This is a closed meeting," Laxus told him simply as Levy came to rub his shoulder. "So-"

"The hell you doing down here then with all the women? Huh?"

"Gajeel," Levy hissed at him. "Just go back-"

"Yeah, like if I wanted to do something with the women in the guild, I'd choose these ones," Laxus snickered. And that time when Mira hit him, he didn't even defend himself. He'd deserved it, after all.

"She really is sorry, Gajeel," Lucy spoke up for her daughter then, glancing back at her. "Whatever it was. They're just as wound up as everyone else about Erza being back. That's all."

When Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her, it was Laxus that spoke again.

"Leave my damn nephew alone and go do something productive, huh?" Laxus went back to the paper's in front of him. "Master's orders."

"Laxus," Mirajane warned as Gajeel only took to grumbling.

After he disappeared, Lucy excused herself, taking both children back upstairs with her, to find out exactly what it was they'd done, though Ryker insisted the entire time it had been nothing.

Lisanna, who'd sat there quietly the whole time, said then, "Well, I'm sure it is annoying. They are really little kids. To have them up here-"

"They're usually not so much," Levy told her. "You and Lucy normal switch off and on, which one of you watch them. But…I mean, obviously…"

"I'm a little shocked, actually," Lisanna said after a second. "About you, Mirajane."

"Hmmm?" She had taken to stroking Laxus' head, right where she'd been striking before, as he shut his eyes, clearly enjoying it. Lisanna would have to admit, they were a tad cute together. "What about me?"

"You know," she said slowly, as if in an offhanded way. "That you don't have any children."

She could feel it too, the shift in the room. Levy though was the one that started to say her name. It was cut off by Mirajane who, at first had looked stricken, but quickly smiled at her sister.

"Sometimes things just don't turn out, huh?" She patted Laxus head one last time. "I spend enough time with yours anyhow."

Laxus was glaring at Lisanna too, so deeply that she knew she'd said something wrong. Mira was heading out of the room then though, citing her need to get back to the bar. Not before promising to help Lisanna and the others figure something out with the time travel stuff later.

Then there were three. And Levy, she bowed out rather quickly, taking some magic books with her from the downstairs, and saying that she'd get back to Lisanna as soon as she could. Even she didn't want to be around anymore.

"Stay," Laxus growled after it was just the two of them and Lisanna tried to get to her feet. "Sit."

"Laxus, I don't-"

"Don't you dare ever say that again to Mirajane," he told her as he himself stood, pocketing the necklace before straightening up his papers, which he picked up just as quickly. "You hear me?"

"I-"

"I get it, alright? That you don't know? But I don't care. You know now. So shut the hell up about it."

"I-I would never… I'm sorry." She wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, but it was clearly something big. "Really."

When he passed her, he only patted her on the head with a grunt, like they were close or something. There. All forgiven.

But it wasn't that easy for Lisanna. And even though she'd gotten answers to a few questions, she still felt as empty as ever. Leaning forwards, she rested her head on the table with a sigh.

When could she just go home?

* * *

><p>"Thanks for walking with me," Lisanna said slowly as she and Mirajane headed down the street with one another. "On your break, I mean."<p>

"Of course. Couldn't risk you getting lost, could we?" Mira smiled at her, but Lisanna was having a hard time meeting her eyes. She felt like she'd done the woman wrong or something, the way that Laxus had acted. "Besides, I'm not on break. With Erza gone off, most everyone cleared out. Kinana's taking over now."

"Right, of course."

Mirajane took a deep breath then, letting out fall slowly from her mouth after a moment. Then, grin falling some, she said, "Today sure was a big shocker. To me and you both, huh?"

"Yeah, it was."

"I can't believe Laxus," she grumbled. "We tell one another everything."

"You guys seem close."

That made Mira giggle and glance at her sister once more. "I know you don't get it, because you're not used to this, but I really do love him."

"And he loves you, clearly."

"Mmmhmm. We've spent years together now. I couldn't even imagine not being with him. It would almost be, like, losing a part of yourself. You know?"

No, not really. Still though, Lisanna had already hurt her sister once that day and only nodded.

"I bet this feels like Edolas to you, doesn't it? Like I'm not your real sister or something?" More giggles. "For whatever reason you're here, Lisanna, I'm glad."

"What do you mean?"

"You know. That my you didn't just disappear without a trace. I would have, like, been heartbroken. I might have really slugged Laxus one then. And Bickslow would have gone crazy. He-"

"I still don't see it," she admitted to her sister. "Me and Bickslow. We-"

"You will though," she reasoned. "Later. When you go back. You guys get to be, like, the best of friends."

"Really?"

Mirajane nodded. "He's kinda like Natsu in a way, if you want to think about it like that."

"What?"

"Yeah," she insisted. "He's funny and does silly things, always needs attention. He's practically-"

"No," she said. "He's not. Whatever you're about to say-"

"Oh, Lisanna, there's just no way," her sister said. "I'll never be able to explain it to you. But one day, when you get back to your own time period, just remember I was right? Huh? None of us could see it back then, but looking back on it, I can see the signs. You were as meant for him as I am for Laxus."

"I'll take your word for it," she found herself saying, though she knew the second she got home, the last person she would ever talk to again would be the seith. No way. Not if it meant…if… No. She'd die a lonely old spinster before-

But then…what about her babies?

"Hey, Mirajane," she found herself saying after a few moments of silence.

"Mmmhmm?" Mira was grinning at her again, but Lisanna just kept staring at the ground, watching their feet.

"I, uh," she tried before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry about before."

"Before? Before when?"

"Mira."

"What?"

"You know what I'm trying to-"

"Lisanna-"

"No," she said. "I am. Whatever happened-"

"Ah. Lissy. Mira."

"Mommy!"

As they turned a corner, they were welcomed with the smiling faces of Bickslow and Bella. She was up on his shoulders, ice cream cone in one hand, as Bickslow's dolls floated around her head. Mirajane, at the sight of the little girl, forgot all about talking to Lisanna, and moved to take the child off her father's shoulders.

"Hello," she greeted the little girl who only grinned in response. "What are you doing out so late?"

"We was getting some ice cream, yeah?" Bickslow held his half eaten cone out to Lisanna. "If I knew we was gonna run into you girls, I'dda got you guys some too."

"No thanks," Lisanna told him simply. "I-"

"Can I take Bella tonight?" Mirajane had the little girl in her arms, who was grinning widely up at her aunt. "I mean, if you guys already don't have Ry- Uh…"

It seemed to hit her suddenly that she wasn't making a romantic night for her sister and husband. She was actually ruining her sister from the past's one excuse for keeping her husband away.

"That sounds great," Bickslow said happily as slipped the diaper bag over one of his shoulders off. "Here you go, Mira. Thanks a lot. You wanna go with your aunt, huh? Bella?"

"Yes," the baby giggled.

"W-Well," Mirajane tried. "I don't-"

"If you don't want to take her," Lisanna helped. "You don't-"

"Course she does," Bickslow insisted, going to wrap an arm around his wife's shoulders. He no doubt saw it as a chance for he and his wife to makeup. "Don't you, Mirajane? Huh? If you don't want her-"

"Of course I want her," Mira said quickly. "I just…"

"Then take her," Lisanna sighed, giving in. She was going to be stuck with Bickslow either way. There was just no getting around it. "Bye, Bella. Your mother loves you, huh?"

Which seemed like a funny way of putting it to Bickslow, but he only mimicked it. "Twice from your father."

And then Mira was leaving, giving Lisanna one last sad glance, though her niece in her arms was trying desperately for her aunt to pay her some attention too.

"Just you and me tonight it looks like, Lissy," Bickslow said as he nuzzled against her neck and began walking once more. "Gettin' late. You wanna go out to dinner, huh? A real fancy one? Or you wanna just go home?"

"Home is fine," she said, trying hard not to tense in his grasp. "Really."

"Home," the wooden dolls with them sang. "Home, Papa."

It wasn't so bad either. At first. When they got there, Bickslow took to polishing his sallet while Lisanna took it upon herself to clean up a little. She figured the future her was the one that got designated to that anyhow and, if she didn't, no one else would.

Sometime later though, while she was busy cleaning up the kitchen (it was the most messy), Bickslow cornered her. She felt it too, as she stood over the sink, wiping it down with a sponge, the way that his breath hit her neck and the atmosphere alone was different.

None of the babies were around to repeat him as he said, "No Ryke or Bell, huh?"

"Mmmmhmm." Maybe if she just-

"So what do you want to do?"

"This is fine," she said as she gave into her fate and turned around to face him. He was so close to him and, without his sallet on, she could stare directly into his eyes. Knowing what they could do to a person gave her a sense of dread.

Maybe that was how she ended up with him. Maybe the future her had been possessed by him. Maybe-

Then he kissed her. And there was no trick of the eyes, they weren't even glowing. Just him moving in and her being stuck with nowhere else to go.

"B-Bickslow," she whispered when he backed off some, though that was only to pick her up and set her on the counter. Which, by the way, she'd just wiped down. It got all butt germy thanks to him! "We-"

"I like our kids and everything," he told her as he only reached down to rest his hands on her thighs, gently prying them apart as he came to stand in front of her. "But man, it's nice to be without them."

She couldn't help it as she said, "Maybe that's why we shouldn't have anymore then, huh?"

"Mmmm. You got me there, Lissy." He winked at her and, shit, what the hell was he doing to her? "You're always, like, so smart. I don't get it, you know."

Her heart was beating and she wanted to shove him away, but her body wouldn't cooperate. All she managed to get out was, "Get what?"

"Why you always like to spend time with me when I'm so stupid compared to you."

"Yeah," she sighed. That time, he had her. "Neither do I."

"Ha ha." Bowing his head then, he pressed a kiss against her neck, mumbling against the flesh, "I think I know."

"What?" she asked as her hands found their way to his chest, though pushing was apparently out of the question, as they stayed motionless there. He was built, she'd give him that. Not overly so, like Laxus or anything, but for them to be getting older, he felt solid beneath her- What was going on? Maybe he had possessed her. Maybe he'd-

"You like being smarter, don't you?" His mouth was against her pulse point and it felt nice, but not as nice as when he raised his head some, so that his mouth was over her ear. "You like that I need you. Just like I like that you're weaker than me."

"I am not," she complained then, though it was with half the fight as she would have liked, "weaker then you."

"Mmmm." Her ear finally got a kiss, which should have been gross. Weren't ears gross? She thought they were gross. Did people do that? Kiss one another's ears? Because it was definitely not something she was willing to return the favor on.

Not that she was returning any favors! At all. Or that any of it was a favor. Really, it was all unsolicited and she was…she was…

But, in theory, she wasn't her, right? And she'd never really…_lost it_ back in her time. Or gone as far with a man as she had currently. Which was kinda embarrassing, to tell the truth. Mira had all these stories about things she did and Lisanna was only able to sit there, blushing and, sometimes, when she was with someone like Cana, pretending like she knew, like she'd…

It wouldn't be so much of a transgression, would it? For her to sleep with Bickslow? _Her freaking husband_? It's not like it changed anything, did it? She still never planned on being with him back in her time. Like, ever. But it would give her some sort of experience. And since, clearly, she'd already had sex with him before in the given time period, it would all be natural for the two of them. No hurt feelings or nothing. Her Bickslow wouldn't even know!

Err, not _her_ Bickslow, but rather the one in her-

"If you're not into it, kid," he was sighing then as he took a step back, clearly not getting much of a response out of her. "That's fine. I mean, I know that we've been fighting. I just thought-"

"I…" She didn't know what to say then. Did she…want to have sex with Bickslow? No. Not at all. But there was something there and… And it hadn't felt horrible, with him kissing her and touching her and-

"I'll get started on dinner, huh?" He was obviously defeated, she could tell. He wouldn't even look at her anymore. "Think we got some meat in here. Sandwiches fine?"

Slowly, she jumped down from the counter, trying to deny the feeling that had pooled inside of her. Had she just been…turned on by Bickslow?

No way! Gross.

But…had she?

"Yeah," she gulped. "They're fine."

"You sure?" Even though he was annoyed, it was plain as day, he was still looking out for her. "I know you don't really wanna eat those. And on a day that we ain't got the kids…I… I mean, we don't have to… But we can go out. Seriously. Just let me-"

"It's fine." She was trying hard to get back that annoyance that she had the past few days with him, but it was hard. "Unless you want-"

"Just give me a minute to make 'em, huh?"

She felt it too, as she stood awkwardly next to him, just watching as she rubbed at her arm. The moment was over. She'd broken it.

Which was what she'd wanted, right?

Of course.

She and Bickslow couldn't… No. It would be cheating him, really. She wasn't his wife. She just wasn't. And she didn't plan to be. Almost like fooling him, really. And for what? So she wouldn't blush as much when the others talked about sex?

No, she'd definitely made the right decision.

And when he kissed her head that night, after giving her his shirt to wear, she knew that he'd forgiven her. He was back to his jolly old self, no doubt thinking that her lack of desire had more to due with the fight he thought they were in than anything else. And for them to have been together for what she was assuming years, she figured he knew what rejection was like.

Maybe, she thought as she drifted off. Maybe learning the trick, about how she needed to listen to Erza's story or whatever, would break the code. In the morning, it'd be the first thing she did! Then, perhaps, she and her future self could go back to their own times, if that was where the other version of her was. And Bickslow could go back to his happy little family and Lisanna could go back to making sure it never happened.

At least not in her timeline.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know. Major lateness and, really, I have no defense other than lack of drive. I really didn't know that many of you were into this story like you are, but I'll try not to disappoint again, huh? We're half way there now anyhow. <strong>


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